In Japan, the media once shaped how the nation saw itself — through the nightly news, the front page of the morning paper or trusted commentators on TV. Today, a different kind of feed defines what people know. For younger generations, the news often comes in fragments: TikTok clips, Line summaries, Instagram reels. The swipe has replaced the scroll. For many, journalism is not really what they’re looking for.

A Tokyo commuter taps through TikTok, Instagram and Line headlines — catching hints of a scandal, a protest, the aftermath of war and a bit of government legislation all in under two minutes. She scrolls past memes, ii ne (liked) posts and push notifications — but has she really learned anything from the stories?

The swipe feels efficient, but increasingly, it replaces depth with a dopamine fix.

Young people in Japan (and elsewhere) aren't avoiding the news, they're just consuming it in new ways. Much of it is filtered through platforms designed for speed and engagement, though, not accuracy or depth. Surveys show traditional TV news and newspapers are barely registering with people under 30.

The trend is backed by international data. The Reuters Institute’s 2024 Digital News Report found that younger Japanese are far more likely to stay informed through platforms like YouTube, social media or mobile aggregators than from legacy press.

When news arrives as headlines, memes or stylish Instagram posts, though, it's harder to tell where journalism ends and........

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